Books like Media performance by Denis McQuail

Marshall McLuhan explores how advances in technology and communication media shape contemporary society and individual perception.

"Media Effects and Society provides an in-depth look at media effects and offers a theoretical foundation for understanding mass media's impact on individuals and society. Working from the assumption that media effects are common and are underestimated, author Elizabeth M. Perse identifies dominant areas of media effects and provides a synthesis of those areas of research. She focuses on the theoretical explanations for media effects, offering explanations of how media effects occur so readers can understand how to mitigate harmful effects and enhance positive ones." "This text provides comprehensive coverage of the range of media effects, including news diffusion, learning from the mass media, socialization of children and adolescents, influences on public opinion and voting, and violent and sexually explicit media content. It also presents a variety of theoretical approaches to understanding media effects, including psychological and content-based theories. In addition, it demonstrates how theories can guide future research into the effects of newer mass communication technologies." "Written for those who study and conduct research in media effects, Media Effects and Society presents a thorough and accessible discussion of media effects theory. As such, it is appropriate for advanced courses on media effects, media theory, and media and society."--Jacket.

This book provides an overview of the ways in which social theories of contemporary society have tried to deal with the place of the media in the production and reproduction of culture. At the same time, Nick Stevenson illuminates the relation between general social theory and the range of communications theories of the medium and the message - concepts of media production, communication and reception. The key social theories of mass communication are clearly and critically examined. The text highlights the work of individual theorists including Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall, Jurgen Habermas, Marshall McLuhan, Fredric Jameson and Jean Baudrillard. The book also covers important traditions of media analysis from feminism, cultural studies and audience research. Showing how these theories can be seen as crucial in understanding contemporary societies and cultures, Stevenson invites a reappraisal of issues as varied as concepts of ideology, structure and agency, and of the role of the media in questions of ethics and citizenship. Understanding Media Cultures will be essential reading for students of social theory, mass communication, sociology of the media and cultural studies.

In Audience Analysis, author Denis McQuail provides a coherent and succinct account of the concept "media audience" in terms of its history and its place in present-day media theory and research. He describes and explains the main types of audience, alternative theories about the audience, and the main traditions and fields of audience research. This informative volume explains the contrast between social scientific and humanistic approaches and gives due weight to the view "from the audience" as well as the view "from the media." It summarizes key research findings and assesses the impact of new media developments, especially transnationalization and new interactive technology. Finally, the volume concludes with an evaluation of the continued relevance of the audience concept under conditions of rapid media change. Providing both an overview of past research and a guide to current thinking, Audience Analysis will be enlightening to academics and students in the fields of mass communication and media studies.

This introductory textbook provides a comprehensive guide for students of media studies on A-Level, BTEC, City and Guilds, GNVQ and undergraduate courses. It covers all the key topics they will encounter, with notes on key terms and references.